The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-05-23
TWELVE HOUSES BURNED.
FIRE ROBS SEVENTY PEOPLE OF
THEIR HOMES.

NEW GOuSLOIl SlISGIS lnC6IlQldIlcS
at Work in the Southern Part OF the
City-Firemen Have Hard Fight
The Losses and Insurance.
Twelve houses at Lincoln and New Hous-
ton streets we!c burned yesterday morning.
The fire broke out few minutes before 4
o'clock in an uncompleted tenement on the
west side of Lincoln street, next to New
Houston. For some reason, not explained,
the alarm was not turned in until the fire
had gained an almost irresistible Roadway
so that when the firemen arrived they could
do nothing more than resist a further spread
of the flames and in this direction they did
efficient work, though they fought against
almost overwhelming odds.
WHERE THE FIRE STARTED.
Mr.. Solomon Cohen is building a row of
six two-story frame dwellings between
Waldburg and New Houston streets facing
Lincoln. The three nearest to New Houston
street were rooted and lathed and ready for
the plaster. The fire started in the rear of
the house that TODD next to New Houston
street and in the corner that was on the
street Mr.. Thomas Wakefield said that
when he was awakened by the cries of fire
he looked out of his window, just across
the street, and saw the flame which was
then not more than six feet high 1t
spread with almost incredible rapjdity,
and iii moment the whole house was on
fire. The flames quickly communicated to
the house on the north, and then blew back
on the residence of Police Sergt. Lingg,
on New Houston street From the second
the fire communicated to the third of the
new houses, then leaped across Lincoh.
street and began its work on the dwellings
there; then from the house in which it orig
inally started it jumped New Houston street
and caught the houses on the south side.
RUSHED INTO THE STREET.
The first work of those who discovered the
fire was to awaken and save their families,
and when they were taken to place of
safety the men returned to save their house
hold goods, but the fire was burning too
hotly and the houses could not be APP
preached. In short time the roofs of two
of the three new houses and of Sergt.
Lingg's residence fell in, and just then the
fire department arrived. The hook and
ladder company, which was the first to ar
rive, started up New Houston street, but
when it got between the burning buildings
the heat was so intense that the horses re-
fused to proceed further. Tho hose reel
had dropped a line Of hose on Drayton
street and was running it out on New Hous-
ton. A blockade was threatened when the
reel reached the hook and ladder truck, but
the driver.of the latter managed to get a
little TO one side and the reel dashed by
The truck and its crew and horses, however.
were suffering terribly, and it was evident
that both men and horses would soon
be lost if they remained there, and
the truck would be burned. Half dozen
men rolled the truck back down New
Houston street into safe place. The
hose that had been left in the street was
coupled to the engine but could not be used
There was no pressure on the pipes.
THE HOSE BURNED IN TWO.
While the hose was lying in the middle of
the street waiting for water it was burned
in two by the intense heat. The reel went
back over its course for an other line and
while making the trip one of the horses
was burned about the head
and one whole side of his
body was blistered. That was reel No. 4.
One of the horses of reel No. suffered in a
similar manner. AT last the water began
to flow, but the pressure was light, and at
no time was it sufficient to enable the depart
ment to work advantageously. These were
the difficulties under which the fremen
labored, yet they succeeded in preventing a
further spread of the flames, and record of
their effective work stands in the shape of
the north wall of the last of Mr.. Cohen's
houses that burned. Three walls fell in, but
the fourth remained standing There the
fire was stopped ON that side
TWELVE HOUSES BURNED.
The houses burned were four on the east
side of Lincoln street, four on the west side
south of New Houston street. and four ON
the northwest corner of the streets men
toned, and large clubhouse in the rear of
Sergt. Lingg's residence. The walls of the
grocery store of Mr.. John II. Wilder, on
the southeast corner, were badly blistered,
and the walls of all the adjoining buildings
were injured to a greater or less extent. The
four houses on the northwest corner were
four on the southwest corner belonged to
Mr.. Andrew Mccormick. Mr.. John H.
Wilder owned the two on the east side
facing New Houston street, and the two
just behind them were owned by Mr.. John
B. Fernando.
and the others Were occupied by Charles
Hawkins, Mrs Wetters, a widow, Sergt.
Lingg. John Hunt, Thomas Wakefield,
Mrs. SECURE, Cato Powell (colored) and
Hagar Robinson (coloredl. The remaining
two were small tenements. No accurate
figures could be had, but within the twelve
dwellings there lived not less than seventy
two persons While they lost all there prop
erty no one was injured, though some of
them were frightened into a nervous sick
ness.
THE ESTIMATED LOSS.
The loss on the buildings is placed at
about SIS, 200 and on the furniture at "a 900
The latter was insured for about three
fourths Of its value, except the furniture OF
Mr.. Thomas Wakefield which was valued
at 81 500. Mrs. Wetter had Just purchased
a $3.50 set of furniture
Regarding the late arrival of the depart
ment, Chief Fernandez said that there was
q fatal delay somewhere, but where he did
not know. His house is less than half q
block from the firemens headquarters and
he counted the alarm, Al, as it struck
and ran Immediately to the engine house
He met the hose reel as it came out
TheAuck had already gone out and the
reel lett the house just as the first tap OF
the second round sounded and no time was
lost in getting to the fire. As soon as he got
out Of doors the Chief knew that the fire had
long start of him, for the light was sc
bright that he thought the fire must bt
north, although the box from which the
alarm sounded was south, but when he
turned the corner of South Broad and Dray
ton streets the light was SO much brighter
that he at once located the blaze. This he
stated TO show that the fire had got well
under Roadway when the alarm was turned
in, and that fact became more painfully
evident when he reached the spot and found
that three of the houses had already fallen